Bennett's Wallaby

Bennett's Wallaby

Range: Throughout Eastern Australia, Tasmania, and on many of the Bass Strait Islands.

Habitat: They are found in many different environments including open areas, brush areas, rocky outcroppings and forests.

Physical Characteristics: When viewed, the Bennett's Wallaby has a striking beauty about it due to their graceful antics and posture. The Bennett's Wallaby, like the kangaroo and other members of the marsupial family, rear their young in pouches. At maturity the Bennett's Wallaby reaches a height of about 24 to 30 inches and weighs between 30 and 50 pounds. The males usually take on the larger size characteristics after several years. They are a brownish gray in color with light stomachs. Some albino varieties do exist, but are in limited supply in the United States and the world.The Bennett's Wallaby can take cold weather with shelter. The type of shelter can vary depending on just how cold it might get in the area where they are to be kept. They require no supplemental heat.

Longevity:12- 15 years

Social Structure: Females have a pecking order and males tend to be aggressive towards one another.

Active Time: Mainly nocturnal

Diet:Wild - grasses and browse on brush

Behavior: Bennett's Wallabies are a social animal in nature and live in groups called mobs. They have an alertness about them when someone or something approaches them. They otherwise tend to graze and stay relaxed. They are constantly grooming their fur coat. They are very clean animal. They like to lay out and take in the sun and fresh air. They even enjoy the rain, so don't waste time trying to get them in their shelter. Bennett's Wallabies seem to be more of a silent communicator using motions and moves to get their points across. They do growl, hiss, and chatter especially when caught.
They have pecking order among the females, but not an aggressive type of behavior, just move over and get out of my way. The males do tend to be more aggressive to one another and it is not unusual to see them sparing it out grabbing and boxing with front legs and kicking with their back legs at one another. Usually after a period of time one hops away.
They are really gentle animals by nature and with easy gentle approaches to them, they will become very friendly in a short period of time. This is especially true of the young offspring, as they quickly become trusting to human kindness. They are playful and tend to hop about in a graceful way. They keep a safety zone between them and strangers, usually of about 15 feet, and then they hop away if you don't have a treat for them.

Reproduction: The Bennett's Wallaby breeds easily in captivity with one baby per year. They have a short average gestation period of about 30 days and bear live young, which make their way to the pouch and attach themselves to the mother's nipple for several months. The young are referred to as a joey. After this period, the joey begins to peek out of the pouch with their head. At about 7 months, the joey begins to take small adventures from mother, but not too far as they quickly seek safety in mother's pouch if alarmed. At 10 months they are usually weaned from mother. Wallabies are easily sexed visually at this time. Wallabies can breed for many years right up to reaching their life span of 12 to 15 years.